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Anduril and Archer debut hybrid attack VTOL, 2027 flight.

7/21/2026

Summary

Anduril, Archer Unveil

Anduril Industries and Archer Aviation unveiled the autonomous VTOL platform Thunder at Farnborough.
Thunder is a Group 5 autonomous attack rotorcraft built from scratch for defense, featuring a series hybrid-electric powertrain and RPM-varying tiltrotors for efficiency and low acoustic signature, according to Anduril SVP Shane Arnott.
Both firms have flown surrogate aircraft and target Thunder’s first flight in 2027.
Archer will announce commercial customers later this week.

Summary

Archer Launches

Archer Aviation posted a $217.7 million loss and $1.6 million revenue in Q1 2026.
The company plans to launch its air-taxi service in 2026, with Abu Dhabi as the first market.
Archer licensed its electric vertical-takeoff technology to Anduril for the Omen drone program.
A Midnight eVTOL was delivered to the U.S. Air Force for evaluation, marking a direct defense use of Archer’s platform.

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Anduril, Archer Unveil

Anduril Industries and Archer Aviation unveiled the autonomous VTOL platform Thunder at Farnborough.
Thunder is a Group 5 autonomous attack rotorcraft built from scratch for defense, featuring a series hybrid-electric powertrain and RPM-varying tiltrotors for efficiency and low acoustic signature, according to Anduril SVP Shane Arnott.
Both firms have flown surrogate aircraft and target Thunder’s first flight in 2027.
Archer will announce commercial customers later this week.

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